PINA

Fiji has recorded 784 new cases of COVID-19 and 15 deaths reported Monday. Permanent secretary for Health Dr James Fong said the new COVID-19 deaths for the period of 12 - 19 July. “The first COVID-19 death to report is a 65-year-old woman from Laucala Beach. She presented to the CWM Hospital Emergency Department in severe respiratory distress. She died 7...

Papua New Guinea has recorded three new COVID-19 cases on Friday 16 July, increasing the total number of cases to 17,467. The cases were reported in three provinces. West Sepik, East Sepik and Hela reported a single case each. Of the three reported cases, two were males and a female. Their ages range from 25 to 58 years. One out of...

Telstra Corp Ltd (TLS.AX) said on Monday it was in discussions to buy the Pacific operations of telecom company Digicel Group, with the support of the Australian government, which will likely fund the majority of the deal amount. The announcement follows a report over the weekend by the Sydney Morning Herald that said the deal could be worth AUD$2 billion...

By Wesly Morgan The first national leader to congratulate Joe Biden on his election as U.S President was Fiji’s Prime Minister, Frank Bainimarama. There was little doubt what he wanted from the new head of the world’s most powerful nation. “Together, we have a planet to save from a climate emergency,” he tweeted. Bainimarama knew Pacific island countries had gained...

Manu Samoa will take their place in Pool D at France 2023 having secured a 79-28 aggregate win against Tonga in Hamilton on Saturday. Samoa secured Rugby World Cup 2023 qualification with a 37-15 defeat of Tonga in Hamilton on Saturday. Holding a healthy 42-13 advantage from the first leg in Auckland last weekend, Manu Samoa needed to avoid defeat by...

The Pacific hearing of the Abuse in Care Royal Commission of Inquiry has started, with survivors expected to discuss the impacts of the Dawn Raids. Tulou: Our Pacific Voices; Tatala e Pulonga is the first of its kind for New Zealand and will be held over two weeks at the Fale o Samoa in Māngere. The public hearing considers the impacts...

The Loughman-led coalition has welcomed the decision of the Vanuatu Appeal Court that was delivered Friday. In a press conference, Prime Minister Bob Loughman conveyed his acknowledgment to all church leaders, religious groupings and chiefs for their prayers and continuous moral support during this time when Vanuatu was experiencing a political saga. He thanked all citizens for adhering to his advice...

Fiji’s Minister for Women, Children and Poverty Alleviation, Mereseini Vuniwaqa has applied to be the new executive director of UN Women, the United Nations agency dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women. Vuniwaqa is one of several candidates who have applied from the Asia-Pacific, to replace former South African vice president, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, who leaves after eight years...

The Fijian Government has announced a $200million(US$100 million) in unemployment income support to Fijians affected by COVID-19, both in the formal and informal sectors. Attorney-General and Minister for Economy Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum made the announcement while delivering the 2021-2022 National Budget in Parliament Friday. He announced that beginning from 01 August, 2021, every affected Fijian will be entitled to a monthly allowance...

Samoa's Court of Appeal, which sat on Friday with a view to determining a case that could finally settle a three-month long national political impasse, has been told that it has the constitutional power to force Parliament to convene. The question of whether the courts have the legal right to convene Parliament, or whether that power is exclusively vested in...